The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-12-28
roUKru-CLAss PosTMAsrEK..

Somebody at the Bottom of an Ingenious
Scheme, Which May Help the Postmas'
tors, but VIII Certai ~ rat Money IN
Somebody's Pur
WASHINGTON, December 1S.-Con-
gresham Tillman, of South Carolina,
claims to have discovered what he terms
Gigantic attempt to make u raid on
the treasury" by combination or syn
dicate, supposed to be working in the
interest of fourth class postmasters.
Since the meeting Of Congress Senators
and Representatives. have received by
almost every mail numerous printed
petitions, with long lists OF signatures
attached, urging Congress to pass law
to increase the salary of fourth. class
postmasters. according to the following
scale:
1.-THE postmaster who opens and closes
one mail per week to receive $40 per
quarter; two mails per week, $2J, aud so
on, increasing quarterly salary Of s. for
each additional mail opened and closed
per week, until the limit of $3.50 per
quarter is reached. The petition further
states that ''when the salary of post
master as fixed by this law exceeds the
amount Of stamps sold at his Office the
postmaster shall retain to tho credit of
his salary the amount Of stamps sold,
and the department shall, on the adjust
ment Of his account, issue him o check
on the treasury, for the balance. If tho
amount Of stamps sold should exceed
the salary of the postmaster he shall,
after deducting tho amount of his salary,
deposit the balance in the treasury"
Mr.. Tillman says he has received sev-
eral hundred Of these petitions from al
most every postmaster in his district,
and he probably would not have made
tho discovery had not the postmastcrs in
forwarding his petition sent "too much."
What he terms "too much" is printed
circular of instructions prepared und dis
tributcd among fourth class ro4tmasters
by the party or parties who aro leading
In the proposed raid on the treasury,
aud which gives the movement in favor
of the proposed increase very much the
appearance OF an organized 'job.' The
'Instructions" are in substance for each
postmaster to get every signature he can
to the printed petition, "rcgardless of
race, color or SEX and then "write a
short personal letter" to his Congress
man, stating that the applicant has got
"the most prominent citizens of the
vicinity" to unite in petitioning for the
it'NiS"oo "iAi "ShihS 1Ol piiS VIC
due consideration il so Justly deserves"
The circulars calls tor contribution OF
twenty-five cents, or more, in pursuance
OF an agreement" plainly referred to,
to pay the expenses of the getting up of
the circulars, etc, and the postmaster is
enjoined to send the money in silver in
registered letter, as he will "get the can
collation. of the stamps and be at no
cos therefor sending it. The tell-tale
document closes with the confident as
suranco that 'if we will all do our duty
wo can get our bill through Congress, I"
which remains to be proved.
Mr.. Tillman exhibited copy OF the
above to many of his Congressional asso-
ciates, and while a majority of them are
disposed to assist overworkcd and poor
ly paid postmastcrs, they seriously OBJ
ject to aiding tl.o authors Of the cir ,ular,
who are evidently making harvest of
twenty-five cent pieces.